CSU, Chico Completes Meriam Library Breezeway Construction Project

The Meriam Library breezeway on the California State University, Chico campus received a new look over the summer – as well as some much-needed infrastructure improvements.

Beginning soon after Commencement in May 2017, the Meriam Library Water Intrusion Remediation project was completed just before the fall semester started. The project entailed major underground remediation involving removal and replacement of the exterior basement waterproofing system.

As a result, the library breezeway was redesigned, including removing and replacing the decorative breezeway concrete. In its place, an inviting space was created with the construction of concrete seat walls, planters, and a central tree, which along with new benches, has already proven to be a popular spot for students and the campus community, thanks to its improved aesthetics.

A collaborative effort between Otto Construction (which delivered the University’s Arts and Humanities Building) and DLR Group architects, the project also included full replacement of the storefront and doors at the east and west sides of the breezeway, in order to meet all Accessibility requirements. The Meriam Library chose this as the opportunity to reconfigure its lobby entrance and exit doors to accommodate high foot traffic.

While the three-month project had a budget of just over $5 million through CSU systemwide funding. Sandra Beck, director and campus architect in Planning, Design and Construction, anticipates the project’s final cost to fall somewhere around $3.5 million. She was very pleased with the project’s completion of both in terms of meeting budget and time goals, as well as the workmanship.

The construction project was necessary, Beck said, and the University waited several years to receive the funding, which came from the CSU system in the form of state revenue bonds for infrastructure improvement projects.

“This was an extremely difficult project to perform within a very limited timeframe,” Beck said. “Otto Construction did an incredible job of preparing for the project, mobilizing quickly and working long hours and weekends in order to meet the University’s timeframe, all with a high level of quality.”

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About California State University, Chico

California State University, Chico is the second-oldest campus in the 23-member CSU system, the nation’s largest public university system. Founded in 1887, Chico State enrolls approximately 17,500 students and offers more than 230 undergraduate and graduate programs through its seven colleges and five schools. The campus is consistently ranked as one of the best regional public universities in the Western United States, and is the only CSU campus to have earned a favorable rating in all five categories of the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scoreboard, which rates universities on affordability and value. Its mission includes a broad commitment to environmental sustainability, public service and community engagement throughout the 12-county North State region where the campus is located. The University became a federal Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2015.